The Flow of an Effective Messenger Conversation
R3OAS I guardianmarketing.substack.com I r3oas.com
Most entrepreneurs don’t actually have a leads problem - they have a conversation problem.
Every day, people show interest in what you do. They comment on your posts, ask for your free resources, and engage with your content.
But then what?
If you’ve ever found yourself engaging in comments but then getting ghosted in Messenger, you’re not alone. The missing piece isn’t more engagement - it’s understanding how to move a conversation forward in a way that actually leads to sales.
That’s exactly what we’re going to break down today.
The following is an excerpt from the upcoming book R3OAS: Retentions, Referrals, and Raving Fans Over Ad Spend, where Laurel Portié reveals the exact framework for turning Messenger conversations into high-value clients—without pressure or awkward sales tactics.
The Flow of an Effective Messenger Conversation
If we take an overall look at what we're actually doing here, it's crucial to understand the flow of the strategy because this is where so many people miss the mark.
The goal of this chapter is to break down the process of moving from a value bomb comment to a meaningful, diagnostic conversation in Messenger, ultimately leading to a sale or deeper engagement.
Here’s the flow that you need to grasp, guided by the principles of Clarity, Certainty, and Trust:
1. The Value Bomb – Top of the Funnel (Clarity)
Think of the value bomb as the top of your funnel.
The purpose of the value bomb is to provide Clarity—to help people self-identify as your ideal client. When someone comments on your value bomb, they’re essentially raising their hand and saying, “This is me. I think I have the problem you’re talking about.”
Your job at this stage is to make it crystal clear why they need what you’re offering and how it will address their immediate concern.
2. Transitioning to Messenger (Certainty)
Once you have them in the comments, the next step is to move them into Messenger.
This is where you shift from Clarity to Certainty. In Messenger, you’re not just having a casual chat—you’re conducting a diagnostic. About 90% of the people who ask for your value bomb won't have their most immediate problem solved by the value bomb itself.
There's often a deeper issue at play, and your job in this phase is to uncover that deeper problem and provide them with the certainty that you have the solution they need.
3. The Diagnostic Conversation (Building Certainty)
In this phase, you need to dig deeper. Many people make the mistake of simply dropping the value bomb and asking a surface-level question without going any further.
But a successful Messenger conversation might get nine to ten lines deep.
The point here is not to rush but to fully understand their problem, which builds Certainty that you’re the right person to help them.
4. Delivering a Personalized Value Bomb (Building Trust)
After the diagnostic, create another value bomb tailored to the conversation you just had. This second value bomb is designed to solve their most immediate problem. However, its real purpose is to reveal the bigger issue.
By solving a small, immediate problem, you’re building Trust—you’re showing them that you understand their situation and can provide real solutions.
This bigger issue is your ticket to securing a phone call or further engagement, where trust continues to grow.
5. The Bigger Problem (Deepening Trust)
Getting them to realize their bigger problem as quickly as possible is crucial. Once they understand this bigger issue, you can then suggest a 15-minute call to help them build a roadmap to solve that specific problem.
This is where Trust solidifies—they’ve seen that you can deliver on your promises, and they’re more likely to take the next step with you.
6. The Conversation as a Funnel (Clarity, Certainty, Trust)
Think of each step in this conversation as part of a funnel:
Step 1: Provide Clarity by helping them self-identify as someone who needs your value bomb.
Step 2: Conduct a quick diagnostic in Messenger to build Certainty that you can solve their problem.
Step 3: Deliver the personalized value bomb that solves their immediate problem, building Trust in the process.
Step 4: Use the bigger problem revealed by the value bomb to deepen Trust and transition them to a phone call.
In summary, the purpose of this process is not to sell them on your program directly in Messenger.
Instead, it's about guiding them through a funnel where each step builds on the previous one, leading them closer to recognizing the value of what you offer and ultimately taking action.
Starting the Conversation: The Basic Framework
Starting a Messenger conversation with a prospect who has shown interest in your value bomb is a crucial step in converting that interest into a sale.
Here’s the basic framework I use to ensure these conversations are both effective and efficient, with a focus on building Clarity, Certainty, and Trust throughout the process.
Step 1: Tell Them Why You’re Messaging (Building Clarity)
Begin by clearly stating the reason for your message. This helps set the context and lets the prospect know what to expect. Avoid open-ended questions that might confuse or overwhelm them. Instead, give them specific options to choose from.
Example Message: “Hey Drew! I’m messaging you here because you asked for my messaging framework that allows me to close 75% of people in Messenger. I have a few different options based on the volume of Messenger conversations you’re getting.
Tell me which of the following scenarios fits you best:I’m getting zero or just 1-2 Messenger conversations a week.
I’m getting 10+ Messenger conversations a week.
I’m getting 40+ Messenger conversations a week.
This approach is direct and immediately engages the prospect by giving them clear choices. It also subtly qualifies them based on their current situation, helping to build Clarity about where they stand and what they need.
Step 2: Give Them Time to Answer
Once you’ve sent the initial message, it’s important to give them time to respond. Rushing them can make the interaction feel pressured, which could push them away.
Example Response: “Hey Laurel, I’m not really getting any Messenger conversations.”
This kind of response opens the door for you to move into diagnosing the issue.
Step 3: Diagnose the Real Problem (Building Certainty)
Act as if they’ve just paid you $500 to solve their problem. Take their response seriously and dig deeper to understand the root cause of their issue.
Example Diagnosis: “Hey Drew, can you show me the last 3 posts/videos you made where you attempted to get conversations?
I’ll do a little audit for you and give you a few tweaks that you can use to improve.
I’ll also give you a little $5 ad tactic you can use to get some quick feedback, does that sound good?”
This step is all about setting yourself up to be THE expert. Think about what you can ask them that would set up the PERFECT scenario for you to show off your expertise and create certainty that…
You’ve been there before…
You’ve seen this 100 times…
…and as they follow what you say, they’ll be okay.
Step 4: Wait for Their Response
Once you’ve asked for specific information (like the last three posts), give them time to gather and send it. This shows that you’re genuinely interested in helping and are willing to invest the time to review their work.
Step 5: Audit Their Posts
After receiving their posts, conduct a quick audit. This should be a thorough but concise review, pinpointing areas for improvement and offering actionable advice.
Example Action: Create a short Loom video where you walk through the posts and provide feedback. During this process, you need to help them solve that small problem, yet reveal the BIGGER problem ahead.
Step 6: Send the Loom Video
Share the audit with them through a personalized Loom video, ensuring that your advice is clear and actionable.
Example Message: “Hey Drew! I just did a 6-minute audit with some quick copy changes you can utilize to get more responses.
Once you make those changes, you may have a hard time transitioning those leads into a booked call. Would it be worth 15 minutes if we hopped on zoom and I can help you framework out a personalized DM sales process?
This step reinforces your role as a helpful advisor, offering real value before asking for anything in return. It also sets the stage for building Trust—you’ve given them something of value, and now they’re more likely to trust you with the next step.
If they have booked a call or took you up on the sale CONGRATS.
For those who do not take you up on it, we will deploy 2 more campaigns …
Why This Works (And What to Do Next)
Most people treat Messenger conversations like a numbers game - send more DMs, drop more links, hope for the best.
But the real game is Clarity, Certainty, and Trust.
- Clarity: Get the right people to self-identify as your ideal client.
- Certainty: Guide them through a structured conversation that uncovers their real problem.
- Trust: Solve something small to reveal the bigger issue—then invite them to take the next step.
For the astute reading this, you may realize that we have a new book coming ;)
R3OAS is Laurel Portié's method of advertising using the R3 Framework1.
As we prepare to launch the published book officially, we're going to be teasing little bits from the book here on MBD. We'll be doing all sorts of special extra things surrounding the book, including workshops - we'll be looking for opportunities to give MBD+ members unique opportunities surrounding the launch :)
Curious what you get with an MBD+ subscription? Read more here…
Be Useful. Be Present. Love the Journey.
Joseph Robertson, CMO Man Bites Dog
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